The series of lectures and screenings titled "Eva Schmidt – Memory-Time – Arvisura – Shamanic Knowledge Today" will continue on April 19 at 6 PM with the screening of the first part of the film "On the Path of the Ancestors" (1993) at the Shambala Tibet Center. The event will also include a lecture, a discussion session, and performances of bear songs and hero epics.

The first part of "On the Path of the Ancestors" showcases the Polnovati bear festival and bear dance, presented in front of the camera of György Halmy by the Hantik people. The ritual, defined in the footnote of the book "Journey to the Other World Following Eva Schmidt," is described as one of the most ancient surviving rituals of humanity, held in honor of a hunted bear. Singers intertwine their fingers and sing in front of a decorated bear head, narrating the history of humanity, the world, and the spirit world, invoking various place spirits and major deities for hours.

Participants in the bear ceremony discuss further details of the bear festival in the film. Pjotr Ivanovich Yuhlimov shares how the bear represented a significant force, and ancient people believed in it so strongly that if someone fell into water, merely thinking of the bear ensured their survival.

Another chapter of "Arvisura" is introduced in "On the Path of the Ancestors." Szalaváré Tura, a Mansi shaman's granddaughter, arrived in Hungary with the Soviet army during the Second World War, where she met Zoltán Paál from Ózd and initiated him into the shamanic world.

Eva Schmidt, a linguist, anthropologist, and shamanistic researcher highlighted in the film concerning guardian spirits, stated, "Not every soul becomes a spirit; it's only those who were more than ordinary in their lifetimes, having a strong will or ability to communicate with the other world. Such individuals had such a force that even after death, they could exert their will in this world, offering these forces to assist the living." (This quote is found on pages 48-49 of the book "Journey to the Other World Following Eva Schmidt.")

In the film, Eva Schmidt recalls how her friendship with a Mansi girl led to her being accepted as part of the Mansi kinship and how they helped her understand much about the spirit world.

Speaking about the upcoming Friday evening, film director György Halmy told our journal, "There are those who feel the truth of the quote from Eva Schmidt in their lives, Zoltán Paál and Eva Schmidt, even many years after their deaths, still play, in one way or another, a significant role today. Eva's gestures in the film suggest that from childhood, she sensed she would not live out her destiny, ending her life sooner than it was written in her book of fate. Many perceive from the signs that she remains with us, living among us after her death."

"We can firmly state, observing the posthumous events, that her will, collected works, and legacy significantly impact her remaining friends. An important part of her legacy is connected to the story of Arvisura and includes the lines of the infinite story articulated by Michael Ende," he added.

The event will feature performances by artistic performer Rita Veronika Baranyai, actor Dávid Berényi, and drummer Kati Fürjes.

The organizers request participants to indicate their intention to attend.

The book "Journey to the Other World Following Eva Schmidt" will be available for order at the venue.